Survivor of mishap where bike plunged into creek near Ulwe on Saturday, says they realised too late that online map had taken them on a wrong route
Atharva Shelke, the 23-year-old who drowned in the Panvel creek on September 27. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Shreyas Jong, who lost his best friend, Atharva Shelke, after the Yamaha FZ-X motorcycle the 23-year-olds were riding to Panvel plunged into the creek at Dhruvatara jetty on the morning of September 27, revealed that online maps had displayed a wrong route, and it was impossible to change course once they realised this.
Jong, an Airoli resident working with ProTechmanize Solutions Pvt Ltd at Wagle Estate in Thane, recalled that midway through the ride, he and Atharva had a small exchange. “I was riding the bike, but Atharva said he wanted to take over. He told me, ‘I want to reach my sister’s home in Panvel quickly. Let me ride now’,” Jong said. Minutes later, disaster struck, allegedly due to directions by online maps.
The motorcycle that plunged into the Panvel creek on September 27. Pic/By Special Arrangement
“The bike went straight into the creek. I know how to swim, so I somehow managed to reach the shore. But Atharva never came up. I prayed and prayed for him to surface. At that moment, I thought of all the rides we had taken, all the years of friendship. I still can’t believe he is not with me anymore,” Jong told mid-day, his voice trembling.
Jong and Shelke had been inseparable since their college days, bonded by their love for bikes and long rides. “He was talented, good in sports, and mad about motorcycles. To think I will never ride with him again,” Jong said, breaking down.
Shaken by the tragedy, Jong has now left for his native Kolhapur to cope with the trauma. “I just wanted to get away. The pain is unbearable,” he admitted. The rescue team reached within minutes, but Shelke’s body was recovered only later.
Previous incident
This marks the second such mishap at the same jetty in three months. In July, a woman driving her Audi plunged into the creek here after following faulty navigation. She was rescued, but the incident had already raised alarm bells.
A senior police officer said, on the condition of anonymity, “We have placed barricades at the jetty and will also appoint a security guard to stop or direct motorists who mistakenly take that route. Preventive measures are being put in place to ensure such incidents do not recur.” For Jong, though, no barricade or guard can fill the void. “It feels like I have lost a part of myself,” he said quietly.
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